


Kinship False and True

by draculard



Category: Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Character Study, Exile, Friendship, Gen, Isolation, Loneliness, Wroonians (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draculard/pseuds/draculard
Summary: There are exterior resemblances and then there are interior resemblances. Captain Pellaeon knows which one humans prefer when it comes to forging bonds with their comrades.He's not quite so sure about Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Relationships: Gilad Pellaeon & Thrawn | Mitth’raw’nuruodo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Kinship False and True

The quiet ripple of humor going through the crew seemed lost on Grand Admiral Thrawn. Even watching him closely, Pellaeon could detect no sign that he even noticed that their new allies — the Wroonians — bore an uncanny resemblance to his own species, whatever that might be. The only difference lay in the eyes; where Thrawn’s were an intimidating red, the Wroonians’ more closely resembled a human’s eyes, and came in all the same shades.

The _Wroonians_ certainly noticed, but unlike the human crew, they didn't react with pleasant surprise and nervous titters. They balked and flinched when they first set eyes on their new commander, and Pellaeon had spotted a few whispering among themselves when they thought Thrawn wasn’t looking. But so far, none of them had dared to ask Thrawn where he came from or what species he was, and he doubted they ever would. One by one, their interest faded; their eyes turned cold; they learned to look past the strange non-human commander and focus instead on their mission, as well they should.

He peeked at Thrawn from the corner of his eye. The admiral's face was blank as ever. Surely he could _tell_ they had blue skin, even if he didn’t show it. It was possible he saw color differently than humans, but whether he was impaired (unlikely) or saw the spectrum more vividly than most, he must realize there was more than a passing similarity between himself and the Wroonians. Yet his face gave nothing away, indicating no recognition. There was nothing there but an imperious and faintly disinterested air of command.

Pellaeon put it out of his mind. They had a simple mission, and after only four hours, the Wroonians were once more dismissed from Imperial service. They left the garrison as a group, dirt-stained and bedraggled from the battle but in good spirits. They didn’t glance behind them as they left.

It was then that Pellaeon looked over at Thrawn and saw the infinitesimal softening of his face — the faint expression of something almost like abandonment that made him look, just for a second, more human than Pellaeon had ever seen him before. It was an expression Pellaeon couldn’t fully read, couldn't really identify even if he could make a guess; he could have possibly fooled himself into thinking it was mere thoughtfulness, or even exhaustion after a long day. He could have convinced himself it was wistfulness, too.

But it wasn’t. It was something he'd never seen before on anyone else in the galaxy, and yet it was almost something he felt he understood. He felt his own face softening, too.

He and Thrawn stayed silent, watching the Wroonians leave. From behind, you couldn’t see their eyes. Just blue skin and blue-black hair — and all of them, every single one, walking steadily and remorselessly away from Thrawn. They were thinking only of their victories and losses, their casualties, their spoils from the war. In time, the admiral who almost looked like them would be nothing more than an uninteresting aside mentioned off-hand to friends and family as they told their war stories from today — an alien of unknown origin who would stand out to them only for the uniform he wore and the odd glow of his eyes.

With a short sigh, Thrawn stirred and turned toward Pellaeon. He gestured to their own shuttle, a silent invitation that seemed simultaneously like a command and a plea. 

Pellaeon nodded.

With a hard set to his jaw, Thrawn turned his back on the blue-skinned warriors who had already left him behind.


End file.
